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Spring/Summer Collection from Rihanna for River Island
For spring/summer 2013 pop superstar Rihanna is launching her second collection with highstreet favourite River Island. Now RiRi fans can pick up some summer style courtesy of Rihanna with plenty of different styles to choose from there is something for everyone’s taste. The last collection she created with River Island was a huge success and sold out quickly, hopefully this collection will follow suit.
Talking about her latest fabulous collection she said:
“I just wanted stuff that I wanted to wear because at the end of the day that’s what got me into designing – seeing things on the rack that were great, but that could have been a little more me. Maybe they could have been a little longer or shorter, or have a little more sex appeal or a little less. I wanted to make clothes for fat days; stuff that I want to wear. I was being selfish. Hopefully, my friends and people who shop at River Island will have the same taste.”
If you watch the video below, you can hear what she was trying to create with this collection and her inspiration.
Some pieces from the collection.
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Fashion for the Conscious Minded
Ethical clothing is gaining momentum as we move from a throw away consumer society. People are now looking to purchase, eco, sustainable and environmentally friendly clothing. Not only that but also not throwing away old clothes, so the end upon the land fill instead swapping them, donating them or even selling them.
What’s good about this is that hopefully as a planet we can not only cut down on waste, but also ensure the clothes we wear and accessories we use have been produced in an ethical environment. That means those that make pour products are working in good, safe conditions and are paid a living wage.
How many people have in their wardrobes or storage clothing they no longer wear or in fact have never got round to wearing. If it’s something that was expensive originally, can you re sell it again? EBay is a great place to sell you unwanted clothes; with affordable eBay couriers you can easily sell your unwanted clothes.
How about shwopping your clothes? Marks and Spencer run a shwopping scheme with Oxfam, so when you buy something new, Marks and Spencer encourage you to drop off something old. They are working with Oxfam to resell, reuse or recycle the clothing they receive, to help people in poverty. Marks and Spencer hope to ultimately collect as many clothes as they sell, encouraging people to think about what they buy and have at home.
Other options include swapping and sharing with your friends, especially expensive items, so you can make sure you get value for money through wearing. Charity shops still call out for clothing as well to resell in their stores. You could always try using Freecycle schemes to share your unwanted clothing, helping some people who may not be able to afford new clothes.
Read MoreSustainability initiatives in the fashion world
The worlds of designer and high street fashion have been undergoing an ethical overhaul in recent years as designers and big brand CEOs have begun to take notice of the effect of fashion on the environment and to take action.
Inditex is the group behind big name fashion and home-wear high street stores throughout Europe. They have created the ‘Sustainable Inditex 2011-2015 Plan’ to ensure a positive and sustainable future for their brands based on four central principles, beauty, clarity, functionality and sustainability. In line with the plan, the group unveiled the new image for its fashion retailers in New York in March and have opened the latest Zara store in London’s Park House Building which has been designed around the retailer’s environmental commitments. Features of the new store include environmentally intelligent heating, cooling and lighting and biodegradable shopping bags and has been built with FSC-certified materials. As a result, the shop has been LEED certified, endorsing the sustainability of the architecture.
Meanwhile, in a bid to raise awareness of the impact on landfill of disposable fashion, Swedish company H&M has launched a new initiative across its stores which retail in the UK, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America. Starting in February next year, H&M will be encouraging its customers to bring their worn and unwanted clothes into stores by offering £5 vouchers for every bag that is donated. The second hand garments will be passed on to I:Collect with whom H&M is working. The clothes will be recycled and given a ‘new life’.
H&M’s CEO Karl Johan Persson cites the initiative as a demonstration of the company’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility; they hope to highlight the growing problems caused by irresponsible disposal of unwanted clothes and to encourage a change of attitude.
Read MoreFashion Retail Chain Republic Close to Administration
There have been a number of loses to the highstreet in recent weeks and it looks like retail chain Republic could be following suit, after it is set to go into administration this week. KPMG was brought in last week to advise the company and it’s thought that around 1000 jobs will be at risk at the company’s 121 stores across the country. According to Sky News, Ernst & Young have been lined up as administrators.
Republic is owned by private equity group TPG and like a lot of retailers on the highstreet has been hit by poor sales over recent months. TPG bought Republic two years ago and have pumped cash injections into the retailer on at least two occasions in the past including £20million in 2012. TPG have also looked at switching to monthly rental payments to help Republics cash flow problems.
Read MoreLondon Collections: Men S/S 2013
Men’s catwalk fashions have evolved over the decades from fussy to contemporary. Colourful, practical clothing juxtaposed with classic tailoring and interesting textures was highlighted on the spring/summer 2013 runway at London Collections: Men.
Royal blue
HRH The Prince of Wales opened the newly introduced London Collections: Men and acknowledged the UK’s skilled craft of fashion. He also took the opportunity to promote his Campaign for Wool. This three-day event featured over 50 shows complete with designer installations, parties and formal dinners.
Who is who?
Amongst the many designers participating were Paul Bernstock and Thelma Speirs, with millinery as their specialty, and Matthew Millar, an innovative young menswear architect with his own label, who challenges the fashion industry with an engineering approach to his digital print. He achieves this whilst simultaneously conforming to traditional tailoring. Hannah Martin, another Central St Martins graduate, describes her signature look for men’s apparel as having “sculptural elegance and masculine detailing.”
Variety is the spice of life
The colours blue and yellow seem set to herald in the new seasons and appear in all hues. For more conservative gents, the message is not to panic. These tones can be introduced in various subtle ways rather than a full-on display. Yellow pocket squares and ankle socks can lift an outfit and keep the wearer on trend. Jonathan Saunders’ menswear offers a range of superb knitwear that partners perfectly with expertly tailored navy jackets. Floral-print trousers were showcased along with American sportswear of a Lurex knit construction. On a contradictory note, Savile Row suits were worn with polo shirts and T-shirts. Christopher Shannon’s range of accessories included the introduction of satchels and backpacks with fringed detail that are suitable for carrying anything from a skateboard to a laptop.
The British Fashion Council announced that the London Collections: Men would return to centre stage early in 2013, as a result of the success this year.
Read MoreRecord breaking catwalk in Hong Kong
On Sunday 9th December, in a collision of fashion and culture, a new Guinness World Record was set. The world’s longest catwalk was created along the waterfront at Tsim Sha Tsui promenade in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour with the city’s stunning skyline in the background; it has been dubbed The World’s Greatest Catwalk.
The historic project was a collaboration between the Hong Kong Fashion Designer’s Association and the Danish Fashion Institute, in an eastern and western meeting of style and design. More than 340 models from Hong Kong and Copenhagen walked the stretch of outdoor runway which, at 3.2 kilometres, smashed the existing record which had previously been held in Turkey when a fashion show was held on a 2.69 kilometre runway outside a Shopping Mall in Ankara. More than 300 designers from the respective institutions showcased their cutting edge fashion on the record breaking catwalk which marked the finale of Hong Kong Design Year.
The highly coveted Guinness Book of World Records Diploma was presented to representatives from both the Danish and Chinese institutes as the last models finished their walk.
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